I’ve had a bit of break from blogging recently. Apart from the odd couple, I’ve not posted much on here over the last two/three months. That’s because it has been a fairly busy time for me. There have been some changes in my life and I went on holiday to Athens recently (scroll down to read more about that!). That doesn’t mean I haven’t been seeing shows or haven’t had anything to blog about though. So, I wanted to do a post about what I’ve been up to these past few months and get back to blogging regularly.
A few shows I’ve seen that I didn’t get around to reviewing…
In June and July I saw three shows, the touring productions of Little Miss Sunshine and Titanic and Bare: A Pop Opera at The Vaults in London. Of these three, I definitely liked Bare best. I already knew I loved the music going into the show and I think the cast did a great job at bringing the emotion to it. When I left both my sister and I were fighting back tears after this production’s powerful addition to the ending.
I’ve read negative reviews which take issue with the layout of the venue and the staging. Whilst I completely understand these issues I think they did a good job with what they had. The choreography sometimes looked a bit dangerous as the cast were dancing so close to one another on the small stage but I didn’t feel like I missed any of the action due to the staging or direction.
Little Miss Sunshine is a film I have loved for years. After seeing the musical I have to say I think the story works better in film format but the stage show was still fun all the same. The actress playing Olive was incredible and the VW van staging was clever but the songs weren’t as memorable as other shows.
I had a similar experience with Titanic, I liked it and thought the cast did a great job. The songs were quite epic but not the kind I’d add to my Spotify playlist. It was a good show but maybe not really my kind of thing.
Six days in Athens…
Earlier this month I went on holiday with my school friends to Athens. Although temperatures during the day made us feel like we were slowly frying, we had a great time. We had a look around the Acropolis, which included stopping at the world’s oldest theatre (of course!), the Theatre of Dionysus.
The hike up to the top of the Acropolis was tricky in the heat, especially with all the tourists stopping at every patch of shade you come across on the way, but it was so worth it. The views you get over Athens are stunning and it’s amazing to think you’re treading the paths that people have walked along for millennia. We passed the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, another ancient theatre, and the remains of a temple for Asclepius before reaching the great staircase where the audio tours we’d downloaded began. From the staircase, you can see the temple of Athena Nike and the Propylea, the gateway. We walked around learning history and seeing the Erechtheion (this is where history and myth well and truly collide as the holes in the side of the building are said to be the damage left after Poseidon stuck the wall with his trident), and Old Temple of Athena before walking around the Parthenon, one of the most recognizable buildings in the world.
Another one of my favourite places we visited was Aegina, an island near Athens. Aegina has a lovely beach but even better yet for me, more ancient history. We visited a museum, which led to a ruined Apollon Sanctuary. The views were beautiful and the area itself was amazing to see. As well as visiting the Acropolis and Aegina, we also went to an inspiring Turtle Sanctuary, watched the sunset from Lycabettus Hill, went around Hadrian’s Library, rode a ‘Happy Train’, visited some museums and ate some amazing food. So, all in all, it was a great trip!
Other bits and bobs…
I turned 23 in July and it’s officially been two years since I graduated university, I’m still a little puzzled about where the time has gone! As I said, I haven’t been posting as much as usual recently but I am planning on getting back to regular blogging from now on so expect a lot more on here.
Thank you for reading and I’ll be back very soon.
Georgia Haze 